1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a porous oxide catalyst and a method of preparing the same. Such catalysts may be used to remove various volatile organic compounds.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a volatile organic compound (“VOC”) is oxidized and thus decomposed by an activated oxygen species, which may be formed on a surface of a catalyst. An activated oxygen species is known to be formed from an oxygen molecule, which is adsorbed at a surface oxygen vacancy site of a metal oxide.
Commercially, a surface oxygen vacancy is formed by reducing a surface of an oxide using a hydrogen containing gas (e.g., forming gas) at a high temperature to form water (e.g., H2+O→H2O), or by supporting a metal oxide on a surface of a carrier having a high surface area, and contacting the metal oxide with a hydrogen containing gas to form a surface oxygen vacancy. However, the surface oxygen vacancy formed by hydrogen reduction is unstable and the surface oxygen vacancy containing oxide is easily re-oxidized, or the crystal structure of the oxide containing the surface oxygen vacancy may collapse to form a different a crystal structure of the oxide, either of which eliminates the oxygen vacancy. In addition, if a carrier is used, the surface area of the carrier supporting by the metal oxide may decrease, or a multi-step synthesis process may be used to provide a desired material. However, both a loss of carrier surface area or synthesis processes including multiple steps are economically undesirable.
Therefore there remains a need for an improved porous oxide catalyst and method of preparing the same.